Be Your Parachute
by HereItGoesAgain
Summary: AU: John Smith, a clever analyst gets a job at Torchwood. He gets to know the boss's daughter, Rose Tyler, and slowly their realtionship starts to build up, but not without complications. Rose/John.
1. John meets Rose

**Title:** Be Your Parachute

**Characters:** the Doctor (as John Smith), Rose Tyler, Amelia Pond, Donna Noble, Rory Williams, Jackie Tyler, Jack Harkness, Mickey Smith & various others

**Pairings:** John&Rose (Amy&Rory)

**Short plot:** John Smith, a clever analyst gets a job at Torchwood. He gets to know the boss's daughter, Rose Tyler, and slowly their realtionship starts to build up, but not without complications

**Warning:** This is basically completely AU. So if things don't match up to the way they are in Doctor Who, that's not a mistake made by me, it's a part of the story. At least that's the way I intended it. In this story the Doctor's an ordinary, but extremly smart, man named John Smith. And Torchwood and the other characters are different in many ways to the way they are in the show. So if you have a problem with that, don't read this fic.

**Author's note:** This fic is basically based on the idea of how I thought the Doctor&Rose were before I started properly watching Doctor Who. It was quite out of place with the actual story, but it did create this story, so, I suppose it's ok. Enjoy! Comments are always welcome! :) and this is a multi-part fic. This is only chapter one, and I intend to continue. So it might get better. Stay tuned!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Doctor Who or the song Parachute by Train where the title was inspired from

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><p>John Smith was an analyst. He was hired to work for Torchwood, a secret company that dealt with aliens and such.<p>

After he had went to see the manager, or rather, was scowled at by her, Jackie Tyler, he was told to go see Rose Tyler. John assumed she was Jackie's daughter.

He had gotten the number of her flat downtown in Leeds, where the Torchwood office was, but wasn't exactly sure why he needed to go see her during her day off.

As he got to the apartment, he knocked on the door, but no one answered. He decided to go for it and turned the doorknob. It was unlocked.

He looked into the apartment and called out "Hello?"

No answer.

He looked around a bit, and then saw a woman staring at him, her back turned to him, but her beautiful face staring at him from the mirror right in front of her. She was only wearing a white towel, and John felt himself blush.

"Oh, hello", he choked out and remained still – careful not to make her alarmed.

"Hello", the woman said slowly, and a small smile played across her lips, but she didn't let it take over.

"I was.. I was looking for Rose Tyler", John said weakly and gestured at the piece of paper where Jackie had written the address of her daughter's flat.

"You found her", Rose said calmly, still not turning to him, only staring through the mirror.

"Uh.. I'm John."

"Rose", the young woman broke into a smile.

"Yeah..", John couldn't help but to smile himself. He folded the piece of paper and put it in his pocket.

"Nice to meet you", Rose kept smiling, and still refusing to turn to him.

"Likewise", he nodded.

Then she got up from her seat and turned to him. "Just give me a minute, will ya?" and then she left the room.

John looked around the flat. It was proper fancy, for a flat in Leeds, but it was really no wonder. Jackie Tyler seemed like a very proud, rich woman, and if Rose was her daughter...

"Torchwood, right? Amy told me they'd hired a new analyst..." John heard Rose's voice from the room next door, most likely her bedroom.

"Uh... Yeah. Listen, I'm sorry to burst in on you like this, Mrs. Tyler just told me to come and see you", John explained.

"She prefers Miss Tyler", Rose gave him a friendly smile as she got out of her bedroom. She was now wearing some jeans, a top and her hair was still slightly wet. "My dad died a long time ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry", John honestly didn't know what to say.

"Don't worry about it. Did she give you some documents or something?" Rose asked, her hands extended, waiting to be given something.

"Yes", he got a piece of paper out of his pocket.

"Right", Rose took a pen from her pocket and wrote something on the paper. "Yeah, so, I'm in charge of basically everything my mum isn't at Torchwood, so it's my job to walk you through the habits and what not. Obviously she didn't care it was my day off", Rose muttered the last part, her eyes still on the paper.

"I'm sorr-"

"Shh!" Rose eyed the paper, and then looked up. "It's not your fault or anything. Mum doesn't trust anyone else than me with this stuff. She said blood's thicker than water. She always says that", She turned back to the paper and wrote something else.

John just stayed quiet. He didn't want to be shushed at again.

"Okay, so, how about we do this? You give me a half an hour and then we can meet at the office, right? I've got to get ready", she looked back up at him.

"Sure", John nodded.

Rose chuckled and grabbed his hand and wrote her number on it. "If you get lost, call me. Or ask for me. If you see Amelia Pond, don't be frightened. She can be a little aggressive", and with that she gave him one last glance and headed back to the bedroom.

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><p>Reviews? :) Chapter 2 will be up soon!<p> 


	2. Intruducing Torchwood

**Chapter 2 up now. It's a bit longer than the first one :)**

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><p>Rose met Donna Noble, a friend of her, who also worked for Torchwood, outside the office, where she was drinking a cup of coffee.<p>

"I met a man today", Rose smiled and sat next to Donna.

"And you said you'd never! What was he like, then?"

"Not like that, and... He was pleasant. That John Smith bloke. The new analyst."

"Hold on. Why are you smiling?" Donna smirked.

"I'm not", Rose turned her face away from her.

"You are. Blushing, too!" Donna giggled.

"Shut up!"

"You are. You found him attractive?" she asked.

Rose thought for a bit, then shook her shoulders and said: "I suppose."

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><p>"I see you found your way", Rose smirked as she met up with John in front of her office.<p>

"Yeah. I'd think for this place to be a bit better hidden, considering that you deal with alien technology here", John said as she reached her.

"My mum doesn't like to play it cautious", she explained and then gestured for him to follow her. She began to walk him through the main office floor. From that point of view, everything seemed almost normal.

"Met Amy yet?" Rose asked as they walked.

"Yeah, ran into her at the front door. She seemed pretty-"

"Aggressive, I know. Did she ask you for the password?" Rose giggled.

"She did. And I didn't know it, but gladly there was this guy who seemed to calm her down."

"That's Rory, her husband."

"What a lucky bloke", John tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"Amy's my best friend, but I agree, she can be a bit of a large bite to swallow every now and then", Rose said, keeping the pleasant tone in her voice as they walked. "And there's no password. Amy's just testing you."

"Right", John smiled.

"Okay, so the mechanic department", they'd reached a small space that was clearly a mixture of an old garage and a mechanic shop.

"5 guys working here. They fix every alien tech we need", Rose said and kept her eyes on John, who watched, with a quite amazed expression, the work that was going on. The men down at the garage were at the moment fixing a machine that looked suspiciously like a UFO spaceship.

"Hey, Rose!" one of the guys ran up to them.

"Mickey, hi. This is John, he's the analyst", Rose said and John couldn't help but to notice that she didn't feel like being around this guy.

Mickey didn't seem to catch the vibe. He was looking at Rose with quite adoration, which made John feel uncomfortable, but gladly the guy turned his eyes on him and shook his hand, saying: "Mickey Smith. Good to finally have a new analyst. Welcome aboard."

"John Smith. Thank you", John smiled as he shook his hand. He couldn't decide whether he liked this guy or not.

Soon they continued, and Rose seemed to have lost all her unpleasantness right as they did.

"Social department", she said as they reached the next place. It looked like a normal office space.

"Uh-oh", John muttered as he saw Amy approaching. "She's in the social department?"

"Hey, Rosie. You brought the new guy", Amy smiled as she walked up to them. "Sorry that I scared you a bit. It's a ritual of mine."

"It's okay", John said. "What do you exactly... do here?" he looked around the department.

"Amelia?" Rose smirked.

Amy nodded and said: "This is the convincing station."

"The what?" John couldn't have looked more confused.

"No, ma'am, there was no alien spaceship flying around your house today. Sure you've taken your medication? No, sir, that man was not spitting fire", Amy smirked. "We fool people into believing they've seen nothing unreal. We cover up for the aliens."

"That's brilliant", John smiled, and Rose smiled along with him. "But... why? I mean, why cover up for the aliens?"

"Because, Johnny boy, we don't want World War III. If the people think they're being threatened, they act like they're not, and get out the big guns. We don't want that", Amy said simply. "Anyway, I better go. A new case downtown. This old hag thinks she's seen a flying baby", she chuckled and left.

"That's Amy", Rose said as they kept going.

"How do you always know when people have seen aliens?" John asked as they walked. He was looking all around. He felt like a child around Christmas.

"We pretend to be an emergency phone line. And if they call the police, we capture the calls. But really, we've got our ways", Rose said and opened the door to the next department. This place was huge. Huge enough for a regular sized plane to land on. And actually, there was a huge plane that resembled a space ship.

"This is the pilot station. We just call it the pilot station, but it's just fancy code for the place where they check that the planes are ready to go up and running. And a place for the captains to have their coffee break", Rose gestured at the small cabin a bit further away. A few people were in there, indeed, drinking coffee.

"See that one who's showing off?" Rose obviously meant the man who was standing, and apparently making everyone laugh.

John nodded.

"Jack Harkness. He might seem like a total arse at first, but he's a good guy", she said.

They went through a few more departments, met many people, along with Donna Noble, Rose's other friend, in the archaeology department, and Amy's husband Rory Pond in the emergency department, which, according to Rose, tended to hurt people's needs. Like doctors.

"So, what do you think?"

"I'm pretty impressed", John smiled.

"Good. That's the general idea, I think. So, what got you to join us?" Rose had led him to the quite fancy dining area, where they sat at a small table.

"I've always been quite interested in this kind of stuff. Aliens. Then I was recruited. It was almost like being recruited to the CIA. Some people had studied me, noticed me doing... erm... Pretty well in school, and asked me to join."

"I bet you're really smart, then", Rose smiled and took a look at the menu. "You hungry?"

"Actually, yeah", John blushed slightly. Rose was nice. And it wasn't normal for him to spend much time with beautiful, nice girls. School had always been the most important thing to him.

"So, what do you do here, then?" he asked after glancing at the menu for a bit.

"Nothing. I'm just the assistant manager, so to speak. I go on missions, I introduce the new people and I see that everything goes well. But I'm not particularly good at anything", Rose said, and John wanted to say something against that, but the truth was that he didn't know her well enough to do so.

They talked and ate for a while, and then it was time to get back to work. But John had a pretty good feeling that he was going to like working there.

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	3. Competition

**Thank you for the reviews! :)**

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><p>A bit later that day, Rose stepped into her mother's office.<p>

"I met John Smith today", she said as she closed the door.

"Who?" Jackie asked in confusion. She was signing some papers in her fancy office.

"The... the analyst, mum. The one you sent to see me on my day off."

Jackie didn't reply. She didn't even look up.

"I'm going home now, since it is, like I said, my day off", Rose said quietly and walked to the door, but Jackie interrupted and said: "He's got potential, that kid."

"John?"

"Yeah. But it's your job to make him the kind of person we need around here. I could see right away that he's too emotional. Too caring. That has to change. He needs to be more like us professionals", Jackie said.

"What, like you?" Rose scoffed. "I doubt anyone should be like you..." she whispered and walked out of the office.

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><p>The next day was pretty quiet around the office, so at noon everyone was at the dining area, chattering. All except Jackie Tyler, obviously, who was somewhere, still working, or as Rose said it, constantly controlling people's lives.<p>

Rose was sitting with Amy and Donna, but when she spotted John entering the dining area with Rory, who he'd already befriended, she immediately gestured for them to join.

"Hello. Do I know you?" Amy smirked as Rory sat next to her.

"I don't know. You kind of remind me of my wife. But you're much prettier", Rory played along.

"Ha ha", Amy chuckled and turned to John. "How'd your first day go?"

"Quite well, actually. All the work you do here is very interesting", John said earnestly.

"It'll stop being interesting in a week", Donna said and took a bite of her velvet cake.

"Maybe John's a bit more cut out for the job than you lot", Rose chuckled. "See, he's actually smart."

"Ah!" Donna faked a gasp. "I have an excellent IQ!"

"Says who?" Amy giggled.

"The... site where I did the test", Donna laughed along with the others. But Rose's smile faded as soon as Mickey Smith entered the dining area.

John observed her expression, and then turned to Mickey, who'd spotted her and was walking towards them.

"Hey, mind if I join you?" He asked, and without waiting for an answer, sat down at the only empty seat.

"Not at all, since I've got work to do", Rose said, stood up and walked quickly out of the dining hall.

"I will be right back", Amy said and followed Rose right out to the hallway.

"What's up?" she asked as she reached Rose.

"Mickey's been pretty pushy lately. I don't know, I feel so uncomfortable around him", she groaned.

"Still got a thing for you, does he now?" Amy turned her head back towards the cafeteria, and then back at Rose.

"I don't know", Rose repeated, shaking her head.

"Alright, well... We've all got a clingy ex", Amy said.

He's not my ex. I've never dated him."

"Sorry, sorry... I'm gonna go back inside", and with that Amy walked back to the cafeteria, and Rose headed for her office.

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><p><strong>Reviews?<strong>


	4. First trip in space

**Fourth chapter. This will basically continue in chapter 5, but I hope you like it!**

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><p>Torchwood's first trip to space that included John. They set their coordinates to a planet called Clom, twin planet to Raxacoricofallapatorius. Rose, Donna and Amy Pond severely mocked the planet's name, until they were told off by Jackie Tyler herself, who had bothered to join them on the mission.<p>

John didn't want to admit it, but he was a bit nervous. They got to the space base, and he immediately set sails towards an empty table at the cafeteria. A cafeteria in space. Even a little thing like that blew his mind.

"First time in space?" John was suddenly joined by Rose, who sat opposite of him at the scrappy little table.

"Yeah", John laughed nervously. Not quite what I imagined."

"What did you imagine, then?" Rose smiled and propped her head up by her arm.

"I dunno... I'm just...", as John watched Rose play with a stray of her hair while looking at him, he couldn't help the slightly pathetic words escape his mouth."I'm an analyst."

Rose looked at him quietly a bit, and then said: "John, you can do anything. The world is out there."

"You really think so?" John had never been told anything quite like that before. His parents loved him, but they didn't take time to think more of him than he was to the outside world.

"Well, yes", Rose said, and she sounded so honest that John broke into a smile. Rose wasn't fake.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I'm stuck here, working for my mum", Rose said almost casually. As she was already used to the thought.

"I'm quoting a friend of mine. You can do anything", John smiled brightly.

"I'm not like you", Rose said simply.

"What's that mean?" John asked, not hiding his confusion.

"Well, for an analyst, you're doing a bloody good job being everything you ever wanted", she said, and as of that moment John decided that he truly liked Rose.

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><p>About an hour later, the spaceship hit the bottom of the planet. Their job was to recover an old piece of ancient alien tech off the bottom of the planet. Jack Harkness, the ship's captain, was ready to leave. He was putting his spacesuit on.<p>

John spotted this and walked up to him. "Sorry. You mind if I join you?"

Jack smiled and then said: "You're the new guy."

"Yeah, John Smith. Nice to meet you", John held out his hand and Jack shook it.

"Likewise. So, you wanna go down to the very pit of this deserted planet with no field experience whatsoever?" Jack asked. He was looking very unsure.

John took a glance at Rose, who was a bit further away talking to Amy and Rory, and then turned back to Jack and nodded. "The world is out there. I want to come."

"Uh..." Jack looked around, and then called: "Rose Bud!"

Rose walked to them and smiled. "Yeah?"  
>"John wants to go down to the pit. Do you give permission? I would ask your mother, but she downright scares me", Jack said.<p>

Rose chuckled, and then turned to John. "Why do you want to do it?"

"You yourself told me to go for it", John said simply.

"Not this", Rose hissed as she pulled him further. "What are you doing?"

"I want to see what's down there. I wanna live the life I've always wanted. I'll be fine. What are you worried about?"

"Umm... No field experience, no precautions, too much confidence", Rose poked John on the chest with each accusation.

"Please, Rose..." John sighed.

Rose took a long time looking at John, trying to find some hidden motives, but maybe she found none, because she slowly nodded and said: "Okay... As long as you both come back safe, okay."

"Brilliant", John smiled. "You won't regret it", and with that he walked back over to Jack, leaving Rose standing there.

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><p>While Jack and John were down in the pit, the others were up in the spaceship, trying to keep track of the situation.<p>

"So what's up with that new guy?" Mickey asked suddenly as he sat next to Rose, where she was monitoring the pit. He had tagged along, but he wasn't really needed in this mission.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, and just couldn't keep her voice from sounding annoyed.

"Why did you let him go?" Mickey asked. "It's unprofessional."

"Look, I don't know what your problem is right now, but I have to focus."

"My problem is that you treat him differently. That makes you unprofessional."

"Shut up, Mickey", Rose hissed and kept her eyes on the screen that showed the bottom of the planet, where John and Jack were walking.

A while passed again, and the oxygen from the spacesuits was running out.

"We better head back up", Jack said.

"You sure? I think it could be down there", John gestured at a huge, black fall right to the core of the planet. "The alien tech, I mean."

"I know, but we only got oxygen for two hours. We've got 20 minutes left. We should ask them to open the airway."

"Yeah", John said, but he knelt down right over the edge of the fall. "Do we still have that cable?"

"What?"

John set the cable they'd taken just in case from the spaceship to his spacesuit and locked the other end to a firm rock right next to the edge. "I'll just have a quick look."

"No, we need to go", Jack shook his head firmly.

"I know. You can go. But... a... friend of mine made me realize something. If I'm not gonna take a chance, then what am I gonna be?" John gave a small glance back to the spaceship a bit far from them.

"John-"

"I'll be right back", and with that John jumped over the edge.

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><p>:)<p> 


	5. a Close call

**Chapter 5!**

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><p>Back up in the spaceship, Rose had seen that all happen from the monitor, and she immediately tried to get the communicators they'd set to work, but she didn't have to. She heard Jack's voice say: <em>"Rosie... He jumped. I don't know what you said to him, but he surely listened. Should I pull him back?"<em>

Rose took a glance at the scene in front of her. Jack was looking down at the fall, and she could see the cable barely struggling to stay put.

"Jack, that cable isn't gonna last long. Pull him up", she said slowly.

After a bit, Jack's voice cracked online again.

"He won't let me. He keeps locking it if I try to pull him back. He is convinced he's almost at the bottom. I don't know, he could be. But is it worth the risk?"

"No, no. Look, you come back here. We'll open the airlocks, and I'll talk to John, ok?" Rose then changed the channel of the communicator, hurrying to get in touch with John. She was incredibly frustrated, and not to mention, worried. Why would he do such a thing on his first real trip?

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><p>John was hanging by a fragile cable right in front of a black, endless pit. He heard his communicator crack. Someone was online.<p>

"John, what are you doing?" Rose's weak, worried voice called out.

"I can reach the bottom. I might make it", John said breathlessly. He knew he needed to do it. Whether Rose realized it or not.

"Don't be a bloody idiot and just get back here!" Rose almost shouted. She sounded like she was on the point of tears. But Rose Tyler didn't cry. Certainly not for John Smith.

"Might be the last time we ever talk and you call me a bloody idiot?" John smiled slightly.

"Sorry, don't know you well enough to be polite. I'd like to, though", Rose said. And she, once again, sounded honest, but John couldn't bring himself to thinking that he was sacrificing something great, so he just responded: "You're just saying that because I might die."

Rose didn't say anything for a bit, but then replied: "Maybe."

"Just promise me one thing, in case something happens", John considered this for a moment, and then continued: "Promise you'll live the life you deserve. Not what your mother wants. Promise me."

"I promise", Rose whispered. She wanted to say something that mattered. That'd make him not jump. But she knew him well enough already to know that nothing she could say would make him back down.

"Well, catch you later", John interrupted her thoughts, and she could hear him opening his security binds.

"John.."

"Remember your promise."

And with those words, John let go of everything holding him onto the cable, and fell. And kept falling.

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><p>After a bit of anxious waiting, Rose had received the word from Jack Harkness that John was ok. He had survived, regained his strength and got the alien tech with only 10 minutes left of his oxygen contacted the base and the team had brought him back. Rose opened the door to the room where John was in, and as she saw him, she smiled, whispered "John", watching him reply to her smile. And then... She ran for it. She ran towards him and wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight, wholehearted hug.<p>

"I never thought of you as much of a hugger", John said kindly as their arms were still wrapped in the tight embrace.

"This is a special occasion, then", Rose said as she finally let go of him and smiled.

"I'm sorry. Once I got down there, all I wanted to do was get back", John explained. He looked like he really owed her an apology. Not that she minded.

"To see us, eh?" Rose smirked.

"Well, to see you."

That sentence made Rose pause. But giving him the benefit of the doubt on the matter, she asked: "Why?"

"I wanted to make sure you held onto your promise", John said.

"I will. Just gonna take some time", Rose had never before considered leaving Torchwood before. It was the only thing that connected her to her mother. And with her father dead, she needed the only parent she got. But she'd never admit it. But with John looking at her with his piercing brown eyes, she couldn't take back her promise.

"I can wait", John smiled.

Rose wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, but let the sentence float in her imagination.

"We should get back to the others, right?" she said after a small silence.

"Yeah..." John moved past her, walking towards the entrance Rose had just emerged from.

"And John?" he turned back to see her still looking at him.

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad you didn't die", Rose smiled.

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><p><strong>Reviews?<strong>


	6. a Snowy night

**another chapter up. I hope you've liked it so far!**

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><p>A few weeks later back in Leeds, it snowed. John was doing his now very regular job, when Rose suddenly ran to him with his overcoat in her hand and her own on her. "Come on. Outside."<p>

"Why?" John asked, bewildered. He hadn't spotted the falling snow on that dark evening.

"It's snowing, you idiot", Rose chuckled and she basically ran him right to the front door, and from there they stepped outside to see the slowly falling snow.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rose smiled. "It's my personal opinion that no planet can quite beat the simple beauty of this place."

"Admirable way to see it. But I can't really say anything. I've only been on one trip."

"You'll go again. And again, and again and again", Rose smirked as she span around in the darkness.

John smiled, looking at her. She was beautiful.

"How many times have you been up there, then?" he asked, gesturing at the sky.

"Feeling like a hundred times. But I guess it's only been about 20. I go on most of the trips to supervise, but I'm never much of help", Rose said and walked back to him.

"I think you underestimate yourself", John smiled.

"I think you overestimate me. I'm not an analyst, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a pilot, I'm not a convincer, I'm not a mechanic nor am I an archaeologist. I'm the assistant manager. And for that I'm ashamed. That's my secret", Rose said it so casually you'd think she was just letting him know she was going out for a walk.

"I don't think you have anything to be ashamed of", John said.

"Yeah?", Rose's face was suddenly pretty close to John's, which made his startled, but then a piercing voice called out.

"Rose! Get back here! You've got work to do!" Jackie Tyler was still treating her daughter like a five-year old.

Rose sighed and closed her eyes for a few seconds, and then moved away from John. "The story of my life, John. You're lucky. Remember that", she tapped his nose lightly and then walked back inside.

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><p><strong>thanks for reading!<strong> **:)**


	7. New Earth

**chapter 7! I hope you've liked the story so far :)**

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><p>The next trip the Torchwood did was to the planet of New Earth, where New New York was. Actually, according to Rory, it was really New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. The 15th since the original, but at that Amy just told him to shut up.<p>

John was standing alone across the field of pure green grass, looking towards the city of New New York, a smile across his face, as someone suddenly pushed him slightly, and he turned around and smirked at Rose.

"Impressed?" she asked.

"Quite. This is beautiful", John nodded, turning back towards the city.

"Nothing an analyst has ever seen, I suppose?" Ron entwined her arm with John's. She pulled him to sit on the grass. John took off his overcoat to give them something to sit on.

"Absolutely. Thank you for taking me here", John smiled, his eyes still fixed on the city.

"My pleasure. Anything for my bloody idiot", Rose said, looking towards the city herself.

John turned his head quickly towards her, and repeated: "_Your_ bloody idiot?"

"Oh, shut up", Rose chuckled, still not meeting his eyes.

"I just want you to know", John said after a bit of silence and gazing at the city. This time Rose turned to him. "I'd be here with you rather than anybody else." He didn't know why he said it. He just wanted to.

"Well, you might make it to my top 10 list of people to hang out with", Rose joked.

"Yeah?"

"Or top 50", Rose laughed out loud.

"Right!" John chuckled as well.

"John, thank you..." Rose said after she'd stopped laughing.

"For...?" John asked, fixing his eyes on her.

"Being my friend."  
>Look who's getting soft", he smirked.<p>

"The things you do to me", Rose sighed dramatically and lay down on John's jacket, closing her eyes.

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><p>After they left New New York, with a lot of products, mostly purchased by Rory and Jack, that said: "I heart New New York" or the "New New York Yankees", John was sitting in their ship, ready to set sail back to Leeds.<p>

"Might have been a waste otherwise, especially considering the amount of junk our 'professional' crew bought, but this trip did make me realize something", Donna Noble said as she walked over to John.

He was a bit taken back. Donna had never really talked to him alone before.

"What?" he asked.

"You and Rose", Donna said, like it was obvious.

"What about us?" John said, and immediately broke eye contact with Donna, nibbling at the reading glasses he had with him.

"I'm not stupid, John. I see the way you look at her", Donna chuckled.

John looked around, as if to see if anyone else had heard, and then turned to Donna.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Donna shook her shoulders and gave him an all-knowing smile. "I'm just saying... If you fancy her, you better go for it."

"Donna-", John shushed her.

"Don't screw it up. You're the only good thing that girl's got going on", Donna said, with a bit more lowered voice, gesturing at Rose, who was sitting on a seat further from them, reading some book about New New York that Rory had bought.

"Honestly, I don't-", John's last protests were drowned by Donna: "Oh, shut up. I won't tell her", she had noticed him eyeing her.

"And, uh..."

Apparently Donna had read his thoughts.

"And I won't tell her mother, either", she smiled.

"Thanks", John smiled a bit too, a lot more relaxed.

"My pleasure", Donna nodded and offered her hand, which he shook. As she stood up, she said to him: "I'm rooting for you two", and then walked off.

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><p><strong>:)<strong>


	8. Priorities

The next weeks passed so quickly that it felt like it'd only been yesterday since John had started working there, but no, it'd been a while. And John was growing closer to Rose. He was falling for her, big time, and he didn't want to stop it.

One afternoon, when Rose was really bored with her work, she heard some tapping outside her office window. She opened it and looked down. John had been throwing small rocks at the window. And that wasn't all. He had a motorbike with him. And two helmets, the other one being, conveniently enough, pink. "Rose!" he smirked as she laid her eyes on him. "Bored?"

"Out of my mind!" Rose shouted down and smiled. "Your motorbike?"

"Nah, I rented it. Care to come and test it?" John shouted back.

Rose didn't need telling twice. She quickly got her overcoat and ran out of the office building. But what she didn't know was that Jackie Tyler was observing them from her window. And right then, Donna Noble knocked on her door.

"It's open", Jackie said and Donna walked up to her.

"They act like little kids around each other", she said quietly, with slight disgust in her voice as she watched her daughter drive off with John.

"That's good", Donna said. "Everyone could use that every once in a while."

Jackie gave her a glance, but said nothing. Nor did Donna. She dropped off the pile of paper she had been delivering for Jackie, and walked out of the office without another word.

* * *

><p>As soon as Rose got back, she was sent to Jackie's office. She immediately knew what it was about, from the look on her mother's face.<p>

"I saw you with the analyst today", Jackie said simply as Rose closed the door behind her.

"John. He has a name, mum", Rose corrected as she sat opposite of Jackie.

"I don't care what his name is. You're acting very childish around him and I won't allow it!" Jackie said firmly.

"He makes me smile", Rose smiled at the thought of John. "That's new, right?"

"Rose... If you're lonely, you can move back in with me. There's plenty of space in the mansion, if that's what you want", Jackie urged.

"Yeah, that's what I want..." Rose scoffed.

"Then what is this rebellious move about, huh? Why are you spending time with him?"

"Mum! I can't believe you! Has it ever occurred to you that I might want to spend time with him because I like him?" Rose was outraged.

"No, because you are my daughter and you can do better!"

"I can do better?"

Jackie watched Rose rise from her chair and look down at her with deep disgust. "Until you get rid of your incredibly snobby and unbelievably proud arse of a behaviour, don't bother sending me in", she hissed.

Jackie rose up to her daughter's level. "Until you sort out your priorities and realize your place in the society, I won't be sending you in."

"Good", Rose said, and that was the end of that conversation. She walked out of the office and banged the door closed behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>reviews?<strong>


	9. the Right type

John was feeling pretty damn ridiculous. He had just been confronted by Mickey Smith, and he had looked at him like he was some pathetic lost stray puppy that no one wanted. He had said to John that he and Rose were an item, and that he didn't like her eyeing her.

So he had noticed, too.

He was in his flat, and tried to get some reading done for work, but eventually gave up and made some coffee. As he sat down by his living room table, he heard a knock on the door, and then Rose emerged.

"Hiya, stranger", she smiled and walked towards him.

"Hey...", John didn't know how to act around her. He had had no idea that she was dating Mickey. That she was dating at all.

"What's up?" Rose asked as she walked to the kitchen and gave back awfully quickly with a cup of coffee for herself, and then sat beside him.

"I'd like to ask you that. There's a rumour going around", John decided she had to confront her about it.

Rose's face fell. "You heard it, then?" she asked in the voice almost dull. She sounded like she was all talked out on the subject.

"It's not true?" John asked, trying to keep the hopefulness out of his voice.

"Obviously not", Rose almost chocked on her coffee. "I thought you'd know me better than that."

"Mickey told it to me pretty convincingly", John said, trying to defend himself.

"You got it straight from him? Brilliant...", Rose scoffed and took another sip of the coffee.

"So you're not dating him?"

"No", Rose said immediately. "He's not my type."

John hesitated for a bit, but then asked: "Then what is your type?"

She gave him a small smile, and took another sip of coffee before avoiding the subject. "Umm... You know I'd never get it on with Mickey, right?"

"I know now", John said honestly. "Why are you telling me?" he was pushing his limits and he knew it, but maybe he'd get Rose to express some feelings towards him.

"Just because", She muttered, obviously trying to wiggle her way out of the subject again.

"Just because what?" John asked with a pressing tone.

"Because you're important to me, you bloody idiot", Rose groaned. The bloody idiot was out again. But it felt like something that was necessarily to be said by her – to him.

"Likewise", John smiled. "And you know that you're the only person I let to call me that, right?"

"I know."

* * *

><p>Rose got back to the Torchwood base, and her smile faded as soon as she saw Amy's judging face greet her in the auditorium, where she'd asked them to meet. But Amy merely asked Rose to tell exactly what'd happened during the last Torchwood trip, which she had inconveniently missed because of her cold.<p>

Rose told everything, but without her own knowledge, almost the whole report was about everything that John had done, John had said or John had talked about with her.

"And then we, uh... Got back home", Rose finished her story.

"Brilliant. Rose Tyler, I am shocked", Amy busted out. She was Scottish. Her voice became even scarier when she shouted. And the judging eyes didn't help.

"What?" Rose asked in mere confusion.

"You've never ever not told me something. You're into that science guy", Amy said. It wasn't a question. It was a fact. And Amelia Pond surely knew Rose well enough that she didn't have to guess with her anymore.

"He's an analyst, and..." Rose sighed. Amy, get serious. I'm not into him!" She tried to look stunned and innocent; like that the things Rose was feeding Amy weren't complete trash and utter lies.

"Look at you, lying to me. He's got you lying to me!" Amy said, but her voice had captured a playful tone. She wasn't mad anymore. Just happy she'd been right.

"Amy, I don't have feelings for John", Rose insisted and walked around the auditorium, avoiding Amy's peering gaze.

"Please. Your face lights up that ridiculous way every time you talk about him", she said. And Rose knew she was right.

"No, it doesn't", she sighed.

"I'm your best friend. I know. You've got it bad for him", Amy said, leaning against the backs of the chairs and smiling at Rose. "But I suppose it's cool. You do look kinda cute together."

* * *

><p><strong>thanks for reading!<strong>


	10. The relationship that'd never work

"Where are we going this time?" John asked as Rose led him to the pilot station.

"To Barcelona", Rose smirked.

"Barcelona? Then why do we need the spaceship again?" he asked as they reached the usual crew, ready to board the spaceship.

"Not the one on earth, mate. The planet Barcelona", Rory explained as they got on the plane.

"I heard that dogs have no noses there", Amy said.

"No way!" Donna gasped.

"Bet you twenty quid", Amy smirked.

"You're on!"

Rose and John took seats next to each other, and soon the spaceship flew away from Torchwood, piloted by none other than Jack.

"What's on your mind?" Rose asked as she eyed John from her seat.

"Nothing major", John smiled and turned to look out of the window.

But that wasn't exactly true. Just before the trip, Jackie Tyler had called John over to her office. He pressed his nose against the window and remembered the awful happening.

_"You wanted to see me?"_

_"Close the door, would you?" Jackie Tyler looked very angry indeed._

_John did as told and turned back to Jackie._

_"Rose, right? I saw you two a few days ago", Jackie was obviously referring to the motorbike situation._

_Before John could reply, Jackie continued: "You know you'll never be enough for her, right?"_

_John looked puzzled for a moment and thought of his reply, but he knew that what Jackie was saying wasn't unreasonable. So he let out the words that had been pondering him for a while: "I know."_

_"Good. So, stay away from her, won't you?" Jackie hissed, and then made a gesture for John to leave, which he gladly took._

"So, your mum, she... doesn't like me hanging around you, does she?" John turned to Rose.

"No, but it's ok. She doesn't like me hanging around with anyone", Rose smiled.

"It doesn't bother you?"

"No... What's going on?" Rose turned in her seat to take a better look at him.

"Nothing, nothing... I was just thinking", John said and turned away.

Rose knew he was lying, but decided to let it be.

* * *

><p>Once they reached Barcelona, they discovered that it was very hot there. The place was only basically full of luxury beaches that resembles the ones on earth, and of course, the "rain" forest.<p>

The rain was really some weird nectarine that made you look 5 years younger than you really were. That's why older women visited there constantly.

The team's job was to gather some of the nectarine and take it back for examination. But Rose had a pretty good idea that Jackie wanted to try it herself.

She hadn't come along this time around. Jackie usually didn't, but every once in a while she liked to come and monitor the situation.

The team decided that the boys would go get the nectarine from the forest while the girls would relax at the beach. Of course that idea was entirely the from girls' masterminds.

"How's it going with the husband, Amy?" Donna asked as they were tanning on the as-good-as-white sand.

"Very well", Amy replied. "We have been married for 5 years now, so it's a miracle things are still as good as new."

"You've been married for 8 years, Amy", Rose reminded. "I was your maid of honour, remember?"

"Oh, look at that", Amy chuckled. "How time flies by. Oh, and Donna, you owe me twenty quid", she said as she watched an older couple walk their noseless dog on the beach.

"Darn... I'll pay you back home", Donna said.

"That's what you always say when I win a bet", Amy reminded her.

Donna chuckled and turned to Rose. "What's going on in your love life, then?"

"Nothing", Rose muttered.

"Nothing wouldn't happen to go by the name of John Smith, now, would he?" Amy teased.

"Guys... It would never work out."

"Why not?" Donna asked.

"He doesn't feel that way about me", Rose said.

"That-", Donna was just about to protest, but Amy shook her head wildly, and she let it go.

"We'll be right back", Amy said and pulled Donna further. "Don't tell her!"

"Tell her what?"

"That John likes her, ok? I know that you want them to have their happily ever after, or something like that, but I couldn't bear if she'd get herself hurt over him. Because she would. It would never work."

"Why not?" Donna groaned.

"Because of so many things. For one, Rose is terrible at relationships. Two, she and John are very good friends, so why ruin that? And third, Jackie Tyler is a monster, and she doesn't like Rose hanging around John. So... do we want her to kill them both?"

Donna stayed silent. Amy was making sense. But she was desperate to tell Rose that John felt the same.

"Fine."

"Good", Amy nodded.

"But, you know, right, that Rose hasn't been this happy in ages?"

"I know. And if they do end up together, I will encourage it in every way, but I won't push it. And neither will you, yeah?" Amy said, and then begun to walk towards the guys, who were emerging from the forest.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11 up soon! :)<strong>


	11. True intentions

**sorry about the delay with this chapter! I'll try to get chapter 12 up faster. :)**

* * *

><p>It seemed like the team could get no rest nowadays. They were sent on a mission after a mission. Jack called it the "Tourist season" of aliens.<p>

The team that John and Rose, along with Donna, Amy, Rory and Jack, gathered, was the one Jackie seemed to be sticking with, even though she still wanted John nowhere near her daughter outside of work.

As there was yet another mission going on, John was partnered up with Donna. They'd lost the track of the others during all of the happenings, and what John was the most worried for, was Rose.

"How are things with you and Rose?" Donna asked almost casually. Like they wouldn't be trapped in an unknown planet, alone.

"They're not. Stop it, Donna", John hissed as he paced around the pavement they were standing on.

"Your face lights up every time you see her. It's amazing", Donna smiled.

"What are you getting at?" John asked, allowing an annoyed glance at Donna.

"It's more than obvious. You're in love with her." Donna'd just voiced the thing John had been thinking about for a while. And he knew it was true

"No, I'm not", John lied, and then turned to the other direction, and then paused. "Rose..." She was standing a bit further from them, a smile playing across her lips, like the first time they'd met.

And John's face indeed lit up.

"What did I tell you, mate?" Donna whispered, but didn't care that John wasn't listening.

Rose and John walked towards each other and hugged shortly, and then pulled away, but their hands still entwined.

"I thought I'd lost you two for good", Rose smiled brightly.

"Nah, you can never get rid of me", John smiled.

"Good. 'Cause I don't want to."

Donna figured it was time to break the love fest. They did need to find the others.

"Oi, you two. Should we get back?"

"Right, of course..." John muttered and let go of Rose's hands.

"Sorry", Rose mumbled as well as they paced back to Donna.

"Guess what?" Donna whispered to John as Rose walked a bit ahead.

"What, Donna?" John sighed.

"Your face just lit up", Donna couldn't stop smirking.

"Oh, stop it..." John muttered, but didn't take his eyes off Rose's figure ahead of them.

"And the best part?" Donna kept smirking. "So did hers."

* * *

><p>Weeks passed. John had now been a part of Torchwood for almost six months. But instead of the bond between Rose and John growing stronger, it started to fade. And the reason was not that they were sick of each other, not even close. John had been confronted by Jackie Tyler once more, and this time John realized that there was nothing he could do. He had to let go of Rose.<p>

Just that very same day, after a week of avoiding Rose, she had arranged a meeting with John in the park right next to the Torchwood office at lunchtime. And as John arrived, he spotted Rose sitting on a bench, obviously waiting for him. But he couldn't bring himself to walk up to her, to be like nothing was wrong. He watched her for a moment, and then started to head back to the office, Jackie's words echoing in his mind. _You'll never be enough for her._

And that was the thing. He couldn't express how much Rose meant to him, but was it worth losing his job? He knew it was, but he had to consider the fact that Rose most likely did not feel the same way, nor would she ever.

* * *

><p>Rose waited a while, but when it became clear that John wasn't going to show up, she went, disappointed, back to the office. As soon as she stepped from the front door, she ran into Mickey Smith.<p>

"Oh, sorry", she said, her thoughts completely elsewhere, and made to move, but Mickey spoke: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing", Rose lied immediately.

"What did he do?" Mickey asked as he passed after Rose, who begun to head towards her office.

"Who?"

"John, obviously. Aren't you two and item now or something?" Mickey stated it like it was obvious.

"No. And look", Rose stopped and turned to him. "I don't know what you got out of it, and I don't care. Just don't spread any rumours about us dating, because I hope you know that'll never happen."

"Yeah, that got a bit out of hand, but..."

"What?"

"My true intention was just to tell John that", he said.

"Why on earth?" Rose groaned in pure frustration. "He believed you!"

"Don't you get it, Rose? He fancies you. It's clear to everyone except apparently you. I tried to make him jealous!"

"By lying to him?" Rose scoffed. She completely nodded off the part about John fancying her.

"Well, Rose, it's not like your true social life's gonna make any guy jealous."

"You're an arse", she sighed and begun to walk off, but Mickey said after her: "Maybe, but I had good intentions. I know that you and I are never gonna happen, so why not make sure you're happy?"  
>Rose turned to him. "John doesn't fancy me."<p>

"Yes, he does. Just ask him", and with that Mickey left.

* * *

><p><strong>reviews?<strong>


	12. All in

**chapter 12.**

* * *

><p>In the evening Rose caught up with John at the parking lot of the Torchwood office building.<p>

She was going to do as Mickey had advised.

"Oi, John!" she shouted, making him turn around, just on the way to his car.

"Rose?" John asked in confusion and paused.

"You've been avoiding me all week. Now, answer me this. What am I to you?" Rose was setting all of the cards on the table.

"What do you mean?" John still wanted to play the game of denying.

"You know bloody well what I mean!" Rose groaned, irritated. "Mickey said you fancied me. What?"

"Well, we're friends, aren't we?" John kept a straight face, but he was angry that Mickey'd gone and revealed his secret.

"Friends?" Rose repeated after a short pause.

"Friends", John said, and his voice sounded colder than ever.

"Got it. Well, that's all I needed to hear", Rose said, trying to match the coldness of his voice and hiding her disappointment, she started to back away, her face still turned to John."Cheers", she sighed and turned to leave, but John called her back: "Rose."

"What?" she asked as she turned back to him.

"You don't fancy me, do you?" John asked. If she'd say yes, he'd confess it all. He'd tell her how much he l-"

"No", Rose said, and this time her voice reached and beat the coldness of John's previous voice easily.

John couldn't help but to look hurt. He pulled himself together after a small moment, and then said: "Got it. That's all I needed to hear", he gave her one more glance, turned back towards his car, saying: "See you later", and then heard the footsteps of Rose leaving the parking lot as he got into his car.

* * *

><p>The next day Rose was, conveniently enough, avoiding John. When he got to work, he saw her heading towards his direction, but as soon as she spotted him, she quickly turned and walked off.<p>

"What's up with you two?" Rory asked John at lunch as they were sitting together. Rose and John had exchanged longing, slightly awkward, looks all day, but neither gathered the courage to actually talk to the other.

"When... when you and Amy started going out... I... How did it happen? Did you just know you liked her and that she liked you back, or did it have to be pushed out of her?" John turned to Rory.

"Well, I'd liked her since we were kids. But she thought I was gay", Rory chuckled.

"Oh", John nodded and turned towards Rose.

"But... I imagine your issues with Rose aren't about your sexual orientations. So, what's going on?"

John sighed. "I love her."

"Whoa", Rory muttered. "That's kind of big."

"I know. But Jackie Tyler, I think she knows, and she's making it her mission to make sure I never approach Rose in anything but professional terms. And last night..." John's gaze turned back to Rose. "I lied to her to fulfill Jackie's wishes."

"So what are you gonna do?"

"I asked her point blank whether she had feelings for me or not. She said no. There's nothing I can do."

"John", Rory chuckled. "I've known Rose for about 6 years now, ever since I got to working here. And if I know one thing about her, it's that she doesn't let her guard down. She doesn't smile. She doesn't hug people. She doesn't believe in love. But you've got her to kinda lower that curtain, so... it is possible that the Rose you confronted yesterday was the evil emotionless Rose, not the one you've come to know here."

John didn't know what to believe. "So what do you suggest I do?"

"Talk to her. Try to get something out. Maybe she'll surprise you."

* * *

><p>"Rose", John finally reached Rose when she was on her way to the copy room, but she didn't look pleased at all.<p>

"I'm busy, John..."

"I need to talk to you about something. It's important."

Rose sighed, but nodded, and led him inside the copy room and closed the door. "What is it?"

"I know you're scared", John said, and he smiled. "But it's ok."

"What are you talking about?" Rose asked, sounding both confused and exhausted.

"You and I, you know we have something", John said, pretty boldly, considering the situation, and approached Rose.

"John-"

"No, let me finish. Just tell me how you feel. Just do that, and if... If we feel the same, I'll quit. I'll do anything to be with you", John was absolutely throwing himself into the situation.

Rose was just about to speak when John's cell phone rang. She sighed and muttered, backing away: "Just answer it."

John did as told, though looking highly disappointed. He turned away from her just for a second, answering: "Hello?" and when he turned back, the door to the copy room as open and Rose was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>chapter 13 up soon! ;)<strong>


	13. the Wrong goodbye

The very next day John had called Rose and told her to meet him at a local beach. Of course the beaches in England were pure rubbish, but the place was pretty. Wasn't much good for swimming anyway in autumn.

"Hey, John", Rose said as she got out of her car, walked to him and was just about to touch his arm, her hand already extended, so eager to explain the happenings of the previous day, when John suddenly said: "Wait."

"What?" Rose asked as she lowered her arm.

"I'm leaving. I got a job offer at UNIT", John said. He knew there was no easy way of telling it, so why not just say it like it was?

"Oh..." other than that, Rose was speechless for quite an amount of time, but finally spoke: "And when did you think to tell me?"

"Now...", John said awkwardly. The truth was that he couldn't have found the words to tell the woman he loved that he was leaving her behind. "I'm sorry, Rose."

Rose shook her head, and then said, clearly trying to choke back tears: "Whatever, John. I hope you'll be happy." She wanted to ask him so many questions, like "why now?" and just "why?" in general, but she couldn't. She just stood there.

A single tear rolled down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it off with the back of her sleeve.

Rose Tyler didn't cry, did she? Certainly not for John Smith.

"Rose..." John wanted to make her feel better. But he knew he had to take the job. He couldn't stay around Rose any longer without being able to be with her. Them being an item wouldn't obviously happen. And Jackie Tyler wasn't exactly making any of it easier on him.

"The analyst got everything he wanted, right?" Rose didn't let him finish, and looked up at him, as if searching for answers to all of those unanswered questions between them.

"Not everything", John said simply. It was unspoken, but she knew.

"A dream job you always wanted. What could be better?" Rose had to ask anyway.

"It's not the same", John said simply.

"Well, John, it won't be the same for me, either", Rose said in the voice that clearly stated that he wasn't the victim in this case.

He sighed, and then nodded. "Catch you later?"

"How do you suppose?" Now Rose was hardly able to choke back the tears. "Tomorrow you'll be somewhere saving the world."

"I can't save anyone", John nudged that comment away with the shook of his shoulders.

"Sure you can", Rose smiled through her tears. "You saved me."

Eventually John left; Rose got back to her car and then returned to work, knowing it wouldn't be the same.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>


	14. the Return

**Thank you all of you for your reviews! And not only for the last chapter, but for all of them. I tend to not reply to comments because I usually forget someone, or just simply forget to answer, and I think it'd be rude if I'd answer to one but not to the others. But it is quite nice to read comments, because it shows that someone likes my story, and that always makes me smile :) anyway, I'm sorry about not replying, it's a bad habit of mine! But I am glad you're enjoying the story, and I can assure you that it's not quite over yet. I hope you like this chapter and don't think too badly about it. I considered for a while about how I'd write this, and this is how it turned out.**

* * *

><p>It was the very least to say that after John left Torchwood, things there weren't the same. Rose was very depressed, but tried to hide it, naturally.<p>

"Hey", Jack walked up to Rose one day, 2 months after John's resigning.

"Yeah?" Rose was sitting on a chair in the break room, not feeling very chatty, which was the normal mode for her those days.

"I just went to see John", Jack said carefully as he sat next to her.

"So?" Rose muttered.

"He misses you. He wishes you'd answer his calls." That was true – John had called Rose several times since he moved to UNIT, but Rose had answered to none of those.

"It's his own fault."

"That's not true. He had to leave", Jack said.

"How do you suppose that?"Rose hissed.

"You know how Jackie was pushing him about you two. And when you didn't come clean when he asked you how you feel-"

"Don't blame this on me! It's hard enough as it is, ok?" Rose said strongly, clearly stating the conversation to be over, and left the room to go back to her office.

* * *

><p>Weeks passed. Those turned into months. Now it had been exactly 7 months since John left Torchwood, but still people missed him. And then, one day...<p>

Rose's work was interrupted by the loud chattering outside her office. She went outside to see what was going on, and the scene in front of her made her gasp out loud.

The crowd of people were standing around her very own John Smith, who has his bag with him, which intended that he was back.

Everyone kind of moved away as they noticed Rose watching the scene, allowing her to walk to John.

"Jackie, she... she asked me back. I didn't want to stay at UNIT, it wasn't the same, and I understand if you're mad at me-"

John was cut off when Rose wrapped her arms around him and gave him the tightest hug.

"I missed you", she muttered, and as John wrapped his arms around her in return, she thought she'd never felt happier.

And they didn't talk about the reason John had left or come back since.

* * *

><p><strong>:) chapter 15 soon!<strong>


	15. Rescue mission

Things went slightly back to normal, but right after one day of being back, Jack informed that they had another mission, and the old team was going to take it. They were all very thrilled about it, and especially when they heard where they were going. It was a planet called Chronicle. People said that the name came from the myth that every single tale ever told in the whole of creation was from that very ancient planet. But that really was just a myth.

Plus the planet was said to be full of amazing mountains for both rock-climbing and skiing.

Though that was obviously not the reason Jackie was sending them there. The last team went to the planet had left over 10 days ago, and not reported since. It was Jackie's suspicions that the people of Chronicle had kidnapped them, and it was the new team's job to get them back to earth.

"Do you reckon this mission will be more dangerous than the previous ones?" Rory asked as he saw Jack load firearms to the spaceship.

"Probably. But I always pack this stuff", Jack chuckled and went inside the ship.

"I'm not so comfortable going on this trip with him", Rory half-joked as he walked back to the others, who were packing the rest of the equipment.

"Oi, stupid face. It can be fun. After we recover the team, we can, you know, ski", Amy smiled and wrapped her arm around him.

"You said you hate skiing", Rory said, bemused.

"I do. But you love it", Amy nodded and they walked into the spaceship as well.

"What's with the 'stupid face'?" John turned to Rose and Donna.

"Long story. But it's kind of Amy's way of saying she loves him", Donna grinned and headed for the spaceship as well.

"Strange way", John said, and turned to Rose.

"Well, people have their own sayings that express how much they love the person. The other person just kind of has to... crack the code", Rose smiled, and patted him on the shoulder and walked past him, saying: "Come on, you bloody idiot."

John smiled and then followed Rose.

* * *

><p>As soon as the team reached Chronicle, it became clear to them that if the planet had once been beautiful and perfect for tourism, it was certainly not that anymore.<p>

The used-to-be-beautiful mountains lie in the background; almost completely covered with black smoke that was coming from the bizarre-looking factories that surrounded almost the whole surface of the western-side of the planet, where they'd just landed.

"Oh, bloody hell", Rose gasped as they got out. "This is..."

"Awful. No wonder the team got lost here. Who wouldn't? There's so much smoke that you can't even see where you're standing", Jack said.

"Probably, but folk, remember. They might have been kidnapped, so we've got to keep an eye out", Rose said and tried to see through the smoke.

And just then, like Rose's words had summoned trouble, at least a dozen human-like creatures ran from the spoke and surrounded them, pointing their swords at them.

"You were saying?" John sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>thanks for reading!<strong>


	16. Now or never

**Sorry that it took so long for me to publish this chapter ; I was on a vacation for a while, and I wasn't able to use the computer there, but nevertheless, here's the chapter :)**

* * *

><p>The people of Chronicle were almost exactly like humans, except that they had abnormally large noses and they were at least twice the size of John, Jack and Rory.<p>

So the team was captured and taken to their city's local prison. The people spoke their own language, but they understood English well enough for them to communicate.

But Rory's plea for their innocence, Amy and Donna's annoyed yelling and Jack's threatening weren't exactly helping.

They were put into cells. Amy and Rory in one, since Amy absolutely refused to be separated from her husband, Jack and Donna in one and Rose and John, conveniently enough, in one.

And whilst all that happening, they saw the other team trapped in the cells as well. At least they'd find them.

Donna, with her excellent sales talk, was able to convince a few of the people of Chronicle, so the town would have a town meeting to decide whether they'd let the strangers go. But they'd have to wait in the cells for answers.

* * *

><p>"Gorgeous mountains and excellent sights..." John said quietly as he and Rose were sitting on the small bench they had in their cell.<p>

"What?"

"That's what it said in the brochure of this place that Rory gave for me to read. It's sad how much their world has changed", he said and looked out of the window.

"They did it to themselves", Rose muttered.

"You think so?" John asked, with a bit of a surprised tone in his voice.

Rose sighed, and then shook her head. "No. It's not only their fault. People have been visiting their world quite a lot, from what I've heard. They just probably tried to make it more modern to attract more tourists, I suppose."

"Rose Tyler, are you being sympathetic?" John smirked.

"Is it so out of character?" Rose chuckled.

"No, but... I don't know. I've just missed you."

"I missed you too", Rose nodded and grabbed his hand, her gaze out of the window.

After a small silence, she asked: "Why did you leave?"

"What?"

"Why did you leave Torchwood? I never asked."

John sighed. The question he had hoped Rose'd never ask him.

"Well?" Rose groaned.  
>"Because Jackie didn't want me near you", he said, and turned back to Rose. "She made it very clear she wanted me nowhere near you, and I couldn't do that and still work with you, so I had to take the job once it was offered."<p>

"Why couldn't you stay away from me?" Rose asked carefully.

"Rose..." John sighed and closed his eyes for a brief second. "I think it's time to finally, for real, to stop pretending. If we're... I don't know, going to get a death sentence, I think it's best we tell the truth now."

Rose knew that it was now or never, but she said: "You know, we're probably not going to get a death sentence."

John groaned and pulled his hand away from Rose's.

"Ok, okay." Rose hurried, because she didn't want him upset with her. And she needed to tell the truth.

"Let's assume for a second that we're going to have a death sentence", she played along and reached out for his hand, which he let her take in hers. "If that's the case, then I think you ought to know...I fancy you", Rose looked straight into John's eyes, and he did the same to her. "I think I have from the start, and I don't know why I kept denying it, but I've never felt this way before."

"Rose-"

"Oh, you bloody idiot", Rose hurried before him and pulled him in for a kiss. And not just any kiss. This was a heart-warming, time-stopping, true love colliding kiss. So needless to say, John responded, and they wrapped their arms around each other, completely and utterly lost in the moment.

But soon, far too soon, the moment was over. "Come on, you two, we're out of here!" they heard Jack yell, and they broke apart.

"Uh..." Rose and John spent a small moment just looking at each other, trying to analyze the moment, but before they had time to even complete a sentence, Amy approached the door and opened it. "Let's go."

She paused for a minute as she spotted that John and Rose were still with their hands entwined, but she didn't have to wonder for long, because almost immediately they stood up, walked slightly awkwardly past her and then that was it. The team, accompanied by the old team, with the apologies of the people of Chronicle, were back in the spaceship, on their way home.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>


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